Trunk fastening or lock.



No. 646;0|7. Patented Mar. 27, I900.

.A. R. BOLBURN.

TRUNK FASTENING 0R LOCK.

(Application filed Sept. 7, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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' UNITED STATES ATENT Frro.

ARTHUR R. COLBURN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TRUNK FASTENING OR LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,017, dated March 27, 1900.

Application filed fieptem'ber 7, 1898. Serial No. 690,422. (No model) To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that L'ARTHUR R. COLBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wash ington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk Fastenings or Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to means for fastening safely telescopic carrying bags or valises, but is not confined to these, and may be applied as desired to, any form of trunk, traveling-case, to boxes, and the like, whether telescopic or otherwise.

My object is to provide a safe, durable, strong, simple, and easily operated and ad justable fastening for telescope valises principally, to be inexpensive, and to provide an adequate and satisfactory support to the body of the valise without sagging when lifted, and to a considerable degree to afford protection to thebody of the valise from bulging and bending of the sides.

This invention presents new and useful features, arrangements, and superiority of operation, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

It is well known that attempts have heretofore been made to accomplish certain of the results hereby attained, but the same have either wholly failed or have proved expensive, undesirable, crude and clumsy, and difficult and uncertain of operation, each of said defects being avoided by the present invention.

Figure 1 represents in perspective the body of a telescope valise provided with my invention, the dotted lines representing the same in extended form; Fig. 2, the top of the valise separate; Fig. 3, a sectional view of that portion represented in Fig.1. Fig. 4. represents a variation having slotted hasp for use with ordinary staple on the lockplate and having a guy-rope; Fig. 5, a padlock-style locked slot-plate extended to handle-fastenings 3 Fig. 6, a portion of the oontrivance separate namely, the stay and its appurtenances.

Like letters of reference denote like parts.

In Fig. 1, arepresents a strap having its ends fastened to the sides of the body of the valise; b, the rigid-stay; c, the hasp; cl, the hinge of the hasp; e, the staple loop in the hasp; f, the guides for the strap; 9, the

guides or notches in the ends of the stay.

, In Fig. 2, his the lock-plate and slot-plate; 11; the slot in the slot-plate; j, a suitable ordinary lock.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the invention as represented in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4 is a variation of this invention, similar to Fig. 1, except that the hasp c has a slot in the end adapted to pass over an ordinary staple, which can be used instead of the lock j and be fastened with an ordinary padlock. a is a guy-rope with its loop end engaging the hook k. The stay a is of sufficient length to pass over the sides of the body of the valise, resting thereupon in depressions countersunk in the sides of the valise.

In Figs. 5 and 6the slot-plate h is extended to the handle-fastenings. c" is an ordinary staple fastened rigidly to the stay I), passing through the slot t' and secured by an ordinary padlock, as f f are guides similar in function to the guidesff.

Having thus enumerated the parts of the present invention, its functions are as follows: *The strap a or its equivalents and the guy-rope a when made taut hold thewsides of the valise together and prevent the same from bulging. By means of the guides f and g in Fig. 1,f and g in Fig. 6, and g and the extension of the stay over the sides of the valise in Fig. 4 the detachable stay a is held in suitable position for the hasp c and the staple c to be in position to pass through the slot 2'. The stay I) in 1 holds the sides of the valise apart in their proper shape, so that the strap a or its equivalents may be made as tight as desired. This stay also serves to provide rigid support to the hasp c and staple c, which are securely fastened thereto. When the valise is packed in extended form, as shown by the dotted lines, the stay also serves to hold the contents in flat across the top, therein being superior to a simple strap, and, further, the stay serves to support, in connection with the strap, the body of the valise,with its contents, and this, too, without sagging, as would inevitably be the case with a strap without a stay. The strap a or its equivalents may be made of any desired length. In Fig. 6 the strap would pass through the guides f and g.

In Fig. 4 an ordinary type of guy-rope is represented. This has certain advantages over the strap. It can be instantly adjusted at any point and the loop end instantly unhookcd from the hook 7c and removed to one side out of the way for packing. If desired, it may pass to one side of the hasp c.

\Vhen the top of the valise is placed in position upon the body, arranged as in Figs. 1 and 4, the hasp c or the staple 0,, by reason of its position upon the stay a, will pass up through the slot 1', suitably placed for that purpose. The hinged end of the hasp bends down upon the slot-plate, thereby holding the stay up against the top of the valise rigidly and securely. The hasp is then locked by a suitable lock in the lock-plate, as in Fig. 2, or by an ordinary staple in place of said lock j to pass through the slot in the end of the hasp c, as provided for in Fig. 4. In Fig. 5 a padlock passes through the staple c, and thereby holds the same in position and locks it. The valise is then ready to be lifted by its handle,'on the top thereof, the weight of the contents being communicated through the strap or guy-rope, the stay, the staple or hasp, the slot-plate, and the top of the valise to the handle-fastenings, except that in Fig. 5 the slot-plate is extended to the handle-fastenings, as shown, communicating directly therewith and relieving the top from strain.

The details of the present invention may be variously modified as desired. The usual outside straps may be used, if so desired; but the same are deemed unnecessary in view of the fact that this invention not only looks the valise, but supports the same in all respects with any desired strength and firmness without sagging.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- 1. The combination with the receptacle of a telescope valise of a fastening projection adapted to pass up through the top of the valise, a rigid, transverse, adjustable stay giving substantially-firm support to and guiding the same, means for removably and adj ustably connecting the stay to the receptacle, said stay being adapted to transmit the lifting force to the said connecting means at the sides of the valise and vertically above the same, and means for connecting said projection to the top of the valise; substantially as described.

2. The combination with the receptacle of a telescope valise of a fastening projection, a rigid, adjustable, detachable, transverse stay giving substantially-firm support to said projection in vertically-adjustable position and guiding the same laterally, and adapted to prevent the walls of said receptacle from receiving the lifting force laterally, means for connecting said transverse stay in verticallyadjustable position with variable tension to the sides of said receptacle and for transmitting the lifting strain thereto vertically, a perforated plate on the top of the valise adapted to receive said projection, and to support the handle so as to relieve the ordinarilyflexible top from the lifting strain, and means for securing said projection to said plate; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a telescope valise of a rigid stay adjustablysecured to and spanning the receptacle portion of said valise, a fastening device carried by said stay, and devices carried bythe cover of the valise for engaging said securing device, substantially as described.

4. The'combination with a telescope valise of a rigid stay ad justably secured to and spanning the receptacle portion of the valise by means adapted to tighten the same in position in varying degree at will, a vertical pro jecting portion of a fastening device, rigidly fixed to the center of the stay and adapted to project through the top of the valise, a perforated plate in the top of the valise adapted to receive the same and carrying the handle, and means for fastening the said projection, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a telescopic case of a transverse, adjustable, rigid stay adapted to span the receptacle portion of the case and to rest upon the sides thereof in recesses countersunk for that purpose, and means for con necting the ends of said stay thereto, adjustably, with readily-variable degree of tightness, substantially as described.

6. The combination in a telescope valise of a transverse, rigid, adjustable, detachable stay removably connected to the walls of the receptacle portion thereof, of suflicient length to span said valise from side to side and to rest upon the sides thereof in countersunk recesses, a hasp centrally located on said stay, adapted to pass into the top of the valise and to hold the stay firmly, throughout its length, up against the top, a perforated plate in the top adapted to receive the hasp, and means for securing the hasp in place, substantially as described.

7. The combination in a telescope valise of a rigid, adjustable, detachable stay of sufficient length to extend from side to side within the top thereof, means for adj ustably connecting its ends to the receptacle portion of the valise with readily-varied tension, guides upon said stay for controlling said connecting means, a fastening projection centrally located upon said stay whereby the projection is automatically guided into proper position for fastening by reason of the sides of the valise-top touching against the ends of the stay,

a fastening device carried by the top for re- In testimony whereof I have signed my ceiving and securing said projection and afname to this specification in the presence of fording support for the same, whereby the two subscribing witnesses.

stay is firmly held up against the top of the ARTHUR R. COLBURN. Valise, and the lifting tension is communicated vertically to the sides of the receptacle, substantially as described.

Witnesses:

HOMER GUERRY, CLARENCE E. DAWSON. 

